


Live A Little

by CrypticGabriel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Erejean Week 2015, M/M, Roadtrip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2019-06-01 13:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15143621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: Eren and Jean, two longtime friends during their college days, fulfill their pact that was made their freshman year. Both single and with nothing better to do, they spend their last summer of freedom going on a US continental road trip. There may be some bumps ahead.





	Live A Little

_The sun beats down onthe_ roof of the Chevy as it heads down the highway. The windows are rolled down and the wind whispers hymns of good will to the weary travelers heading West.

The two men seated in the pickup have made a pact their freshman year of college. After their schooling was finally over and they had some time to reflect and recuperate from the endless hours on end reading their textbooks cover to cover and running solely on energy drinks, if they still were single and had no time to themselves, they were going to take a cross-country trip of the continental United States. Do some sight-seeing, get a taste of life in other states. Live a little.

It’s been two weeks since they set out on their journey, and boy, were they really living.

The blonde in the passenger seat has his sunglasses raised away from his eyes as he stares out at the sunny day ahead of them. He has this bright smile on his face, but mainly it’s because it is Eren’s turn to drive right now on the interstate. The air is clear and warm, the perfect weather to stare at the horizon for miles and watch them come closer to each landmark.

Each landmark being a tree.

“I’m gonna make a rest stop in a couple hours,” Eren sighs next to him, less than amused by the monotony of the traffic and lack of landmarks. “One more tree, and I’m going to scream.”

“Tree,” Jean grins as they pass right past one.

“God dammit!”

“You actually screamed!” he laughs out and kicks his feet up on the dash. “When am I taking the wheel?”

“As soon as I recover from seeing the most exciting thing on this goddamn highway.” He sighs and steps a bit heavier on the gas pedal. “I wanna drag race.”

“I wanna live after we see the most exciting thing on this highway!” Jean says quickly and holds onto his seat as Eren speeds up. “Eren, slow down!”

“C’mon, there’s no one around here,” he frowns. “Let me at least have some fun.”

Jean grimaces. His idea of fun does not include dying on an empty highway somewhere in the middle of the country. “Fine… But if you have your fun with the wheel, I pick the music.”

Eren scoffs. “That’s not gonna make this race any more exciting!”

The blonde shakes his head as he puts a CD in the drive. “Listening to Vampire Weekend for an hour is not gonna kill you, Eren. Live a little.”

“We _are_. That’s why we’re here!”

“I know that.” Jean is very aware of the pact they made. In fact, they are in the middle of it right now. And they are not going home until they have been to every part of the country that is under the sun. “But if you really want to live a little more, you can also enjoy the little things that go on with… y’know, us, during the trip. I mean, we’re going across the country together. There should definitely be time for us to enjoy even the little things about us, am I right?”

The brunette sighs heavily after a moment of silence. “I hate when you’re right.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he winks and then makes sure the music plays right as Eren speeds up on the road.

Despite popular demand of their friends, they have definitely grown closer since the trip began. They made bets on whether or not they’d end up making out at least once or twice during this trip. So far, there was one. One hell of a night in Kentucky, they hit the town and went back to the hotel room in an elated daze. And in that entranced phase of the night fingers intertwined and lips had touched, breathing out the promise of a good night. That was two days ago.

They hadn’t brought it up since it happened, but there is definitely a small divide between their feelings before and after they said goodbye to their friends as they heard “I bet fifty bucks…” behind them.

Eren eventually slows down the car when _finally_ there are signs of life on the empty road. He is now at a reasonable speed, but the CD is still playing Jean’s music. No one makes a move to turn it off.

“You know, after a while of listening to this, it’s actually pretty good,” Eren admits. “I’d hate to say that, but the tunes are catchy.”

“Well, it’s very nice that you are happy with my music choice.” He looks out through the windshield, putting the sunglasses back over his eyes when the sun’s brilliance smacks him in the face. “I was thinking of getting another CD. We can listen to that on our way to Illinois.”

“For once, that sounds good.” His tone is a little softer, and Jean turns down the volume of the music as Ezra Koenig asks if they want to get out of Cape Cod. “Hey, Jean?”

“Hm?” The sunset turns the sky a bright pink, and it’s a little more bearable for his eyes.

Eren sighs softly. “I was thinking… about the other night in Kentucky. When we kissed, I mean.”

“What about it?” he asks.

“…What does it mean?” He pays attention to the signs ahead. “Okay, the rest stop is ten miles from here.”

“Cool.” Going back to the topic at hand, Jean stumbles on his words. “I really don’t know. What _does_ it mean? Are we like… together now, or something?”

“I guess if we really want to be,” he shrugs.

That gets Jean thinking. “Well, _do_ you?”

He nods. “I guess I do.”

The blonde purses his lips. “Eren, this isn’t something that you can just guess. You’re right, I really wonder what that kiss means. I’m starting to think that maybe, yes, I kinda like you a lot. I probably wouldn’t have agreed to this trip if I didn’t, after all. And if you kissed me that night, I think that means you might have the same feelings for me?”

The road is not nearly as quiet as it was when they first started today, but the still silence in the Chevy is. Eren’s hands grip the steering wheel, and he’s slowing down now as they approach the rest stop. He’s run down from driving, and Jean’s still intently waiting for his answer. When it comes, it brings relief to his swiftly-beating heart.

“You don’t think that. You know it,” he says simply and smiles at Jean. “To be completely honest, I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t like you, much less have gone on this trip with you. And I’m glad that right now we’re having this talk.”

As Eren parks, Jean keeps looking at him. And instead of responding back in coherent words, he starts to laugh. It throws the brunette off, and he tries to get his attention.

“Hey Jean, I don’t think laughing like this is a good form of communication here!” he groans and grabs at his shoulder. “Stop it, you big goon.”

The blonde’s still smiling, leaning close while the door to the driver side opens. “You’re living a little,” he grins. “You’re anticipating so much on living out there in the world, but this… This here is a way of living. Us, right here.” He takes his hand.

With their faces so close to one another, Eren’s cheeks burn with a flustered rose. He smiles at the other but still shyly looks away. “Don’t make it gay, Jean.” In translation, Jean is absolutely right. He’s living a little. And he really likes it.

“You love it,” Jean smiles and takes his hand.

As they get out of the pickup Eren keeps close to Jean. He looks up and holds his shoulders. “You’re right.” With a little bit of leaning and reaching, their lips meet shortly after, the kiss lasting a brief moment but at the same time a blissful eternity. Eren has to recollect himself as he playfully nudges Jean’s shoulder. “I love living a little.”


End file.
